Church Of England votes to ban 'ex-gay' therapy

The Church of England has backed a motion calling for an end to therapies that attempt to alter the sexual orientation or gender identity of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Christians.

Such therapies go by names such as "conversion therapy," "reparative therapy" or "ex-gay therapy."

The private member's motion (PMM) was introduced by Jayne Ozanne, described by the Press Association as a "Christian gay rights campaigner."

Ozanne said in an interview with the Press Association that she underwent the therapy.

"I call it abuse," Ozanne said. "I believe it is spiritual abuse."

"[Sexual orientation] is a very delicate area that only true professionals should be dealing with. And they won't try to change people's sexual orientation, they will help them try to deal with it. What people don't understand is that you can enter this sort of practice willingly because you think it is the right thing to do because you have been told it is what God wants."

The motion calls such therapies "harmful to LGBT people" and "based on the misguided belief that being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender is wrong." "This leads to increased mental health problems for the LGBT community due to stigmatization."

The Church of England's steadfast opposition to same-sex marriage has created a rift with several of its international associated churches, including in the United States, where the Episcopal Church has embraced marriage equality.

The World Psychiatric Association has joined with every national medical association calling for a worldwide ban on reparative gay conversion therapy, explaining nobody has been cured by it, but many have been harmed. Since there is no such medical treatment as gay conversion therapy, it is a field which has attracted quacks, pedophiles and religious fanatics.